Sucrose Metabolism at Three Leaf Development Stages in Bean Plants

Sucrose metabolism was studied at three leaf development stages in two Phaseolus vulgaris L. cultivars, Tacarigua and Montalban. The changes of enzyme activities involved in sucrose metabolism at the leaf development stages were: (1) Sink (9-11 % full leaf expansion, FLE): low total sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity, and higher acid invertase (AI) activity accompanied by low sucrose synthase (SuSy) synthetic and sucrolytic activities. (2) Sink to source transition (40-47 % FLE): increase in total SPS and SuSy activities, decrease in AI activity. (3) Source (96-97 % FLE): high total SPS activity, increased SuSy activities, decreased AI activity. The hexose/sucrose ratio decreased from sink to source leaves in both bean cultivars. The neutral invertase activity was lower than that of AI; it showed an insignificant decrease during the sink-source transition. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Analysis of carbohydrate metabolism enzymes and cellular contents of sugars and proteins during spruce somatic embryogenesis suggests a regulatory role of exogenous sucrose in embryo development.

Carbohydrate metabolism was investigated during spruce somatic embryogenesis. During the period of maintenance corresponding to the active phase of embryogenic tissue growth, activities of soluble acid invertase and alkaline invertase increased together with cellular glucose and fructose levels. During the same time, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity increased while sucrose synthase (SuSy) activity stayed constant together with the cellular sucrose level. Therefore, during maintenance, invertases were thought to generate the hexoses necessary for embryogenic tissue growth while SuSy and SPS would allow cellular sucrose to be kept at a constant level. During maturation on sucrose-containing medium, SuSy and SPS activities stayed constant whereas invertase activities were high during the early stage of maturation before declining markedly from the second to the fifth week. This decrease of invertase activities resulted in a decreased hexose:sucrose ratio accompanied by starch and protein deposition. Additionally, carbohydrate metabolism was strongly modified when sucrose in the maturation medium was replaced by equimolar concentrations of glucose and fructose. Essentially, during the first 2 weeks, invertase activities were low in tissues growing on hexose-containing medium while cellular glucose and fructose levels increased. During the same period, SuSy activity increased while the SPS activity stayed constant together with the cellular sucrose level. This metabolism reorganization on hexose-containing medium affected cellular protein and starch levels resulting in a decrease of embryo number and quality. These results provide new knowledge on carbohydrate metabolism during spruce somatic embryogenesis and suggest a regulatory role of exogenous sucrose in embryo development.     

睡莲叶脐着生胎芽与叶片不同部位碳水化合物代谢的关系

为了解睡莲叶脐胎芽的发育机理,以广热带亚属胎生睡莲‘玛格丽特’和‘鲁比’为材料,非胎生睡莲‘粉星’为对照,采用石蜡切片技术观察叶脐胎芽发育4个时期的形态变化,并比较胎生与非胎生睡莲叶片不同部位碳水化合物代谢的差异性。结果表明: 叶片展开后,胎生睡莲叶脐表皮以下细胞不断分裂和生长,形成排列紧密的细胞群,并逐渐向上凸起呈球形,非胎生睡莲叶脐则无任何变化。随着叶片的不断发育,除蔗糖和酶活性以外,各生理指标在胎生睡莲叶片中的含量均表现为先升后降,显著高于非胎生睡莲;从不同部位来看,碳水化合物含量总体表现为叶片>叶脐>叶柄(淀粉含量除外,其叶脐高于叶片和叶柄);不同品种蔗糖代谢酶活性表现为蔗糖合成酶(SS)和酸性转化酶(AI)活性高于蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)和中性转化酶(NI)活性,胎生睡莲不同组织中的SPS和NI活性均显著高于非胎生睡莲,但SS和AI活性在胎生睡莲中并未表现出明显的品种优势;AI活性在品种间差异大,NI活性在品种间差异较小,且在不同组织中均处于较低水平。相关性分析表明,‘鲁比’叶片的蔗糖含量与SPS和AI呈极显著正相关,与NI呈显著正相关,且蔗糖含量的积累主要增加了睡莲叶片的SS和NI活性,有利于促进胎芽的形成。     

Extractable activities and protein content of sucrose-phosphate synthase, sucrose synthase and neutral invertase in trunk tissues of Robinia pseudoacacia L. are related to cambial wood production and heartwood formation

The presence of sucrose synthesizing and degrading enzymes and the correlation of their enzyme activity with cambial growth and heartwood formation are demonstrated in trunks of Robinia pseudoacacia L., black locust. Sucrose is formed by sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS; EC 2.4.1.14), predominantly in the storage part of the sapwood. In the cambial differentiation zone and the sapwood-heartwood transition zone, both of which constitute carbohydrate sinks, sucrose is primarily cleaved by sucrose synthase (SuSy; EC 2.4.1.13) and a neutral invertase (NI; EC 3.2.1.26). In spring, enhanced activities of SuSy and NI were found in the differentiating xylem tissues. This coincided with elevated SPS rates at the sites of starch mobilization. Heartwood formation in autumn, a period of intense accumulation of phenolics in the innermost living wood tissues, was accompanied by high activities of SuSy and NI. Increased SPS and NI activities in all tissues of winter samples could be correlated with cold acclimation. Probing of SPS and SuSy protein from black locust with heterologous antibodies revealed a subunit size of 130 kDa for SPS and of 89 kDa for SuSy. Both SPS and SuSy exhibited a linear correlation between catalytic activity and amount of enzyme protein with respect to the radial profile from bark to inner core and with respect to the seasonal course. The highest amounts of SuSy-specific mRNA were detected in differentiating xylem in summer and the sapwood-heartwood transition zone in autumn. These data are taken as evidence for a pivotal role of SuSy in supplying carbon skeletons for the biosynthesis of secondary substances in woody axes. Received: 6 May 1998 / Accepted: 28 July 1998     

The effect of sulphite on chlorophyll fluorescence and sucrose metabolism in poplar leaves

Sulphite at concentrations from 0.5 to 5.0 mM was supplied to illuminated, detached poplar (Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh) leaves via the transpiration stream. Chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, the contents of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (Fru2,6BP) and starch, and extractable specific activity of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SuSy), acid invertase (AI), neutral invertase (NI), ATP-dependent fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase (PFK) and pyrophosphate-dependent fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase (PFP) were measured. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters appeared to be unaffected by sulphite. Application of ≥ 1.0 mM sulphite led to an increase in the content of Fru2,6BP and starch. There was also a decline in the activity of SPS, NI and PFK. On the other hand, the influence of sulphite on the activity of AI and PFP was negligible. Specific activity of SuSy was inhibited by 1.0 and 2.5 mM but activated by 5.0 mM of sulphite. On the basis of the results obtained in the present study, we postulate that sulphite at concentrations ≥ 1.0 mM inhibits primarily sucrose synthesis, favours starch accumulation and has an indirect effect on the sucrolytic activities in poplar leaves.     

Plant density influences fiber sucrose metabolism in relation to cotton fiber quality

Planting density plays an important role in improving cotton yield and regulating fiber quality. A 2-year experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of plant density on sucrose metabolism in relation to fiber quality of field-grown cotton. The results showed that lint yield increased with increasing plant density, fiber micronaire, fiber maturity ratio, and fiber fineness decreased with the increasing of plant density, whereas fiber length, fiber uniformity index, fiber strength, and fiber elongation were little affected by plant density. Increased plant density decreased sucrose synthase (SuSy) activity, sucrose content, and cellulose content in cotton fiber, but increased invertase activity. Increased invertase activity would restrain SuSy activity in cotton fiber: therefore, SuSy activity was the most severely affected enzyme in fiber sucrose metabolism by cotton plant density during fiber development. Abundant sucrose content in fiber after 24 days post anthesis (DPA) and high activities of SuSy and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) at 38 DPA were beneficial for cellulose synthesis, and were propitious to optimize the fiber maturity properties. The results also showed that fiber micronaire, maturity ratio, and fineness decreased 0.11, 0.02, and 5.89 mtex, respectively, with each increase of 10,000 plants per hectare. It was concluded that high plant density decreased SuSy activity, sucrose content, and cellulose content, but increased invertase activity in sucrose metabolism, resulting in low fiber micronaire, fiber maturity ratio, and fiber fineness.     

Sucrose accumulation in sweet sorghum stem internodes in relation to growth

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) stems of different cultivars (NK 405. Keller and Tracy) reveal a different pattern of sucrose accumulation with respect to in-ternodal sugar content and distribution. The onset of sucrose storage is not necessarily associated with the reproductive stage of the plant, as was hitherto assumed, but obviously occurs after cessation of internodai elongation as was postulated for the sugarcane stem. For at least two of the three cultivars, ripening is an internode to internode process beginning at the lowermost culm parts. Intensive growth of the internodes, combined with a high hexose content in stern parenchyma, shows a strong positive correlation (r |Mg 0.94) to the activity of sucrose synthase (SuSy; EC 2.4.13), but not to invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) which is not present as soluble (neutral and acid) or cell wall-bound, salt-extractable enzyme in the three culsivars investigated. Sucrose synthase measured in sucrose cleavage and synthesis direction reveals divergent activity rates and sensitivity towards exogenously applied Mg²⁺ ions and pH. SuSy activity is connected to the increase of internodai sucrose content in so far as (1) its decline is a prerequisite for the onset of sucrose accumulation and (2) it remains at a constant low level during sucrose storage. Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS; EC 2.4.1.14) activity in the sorghum stem is low compared to SuSy and uniformly distributed over all inter-nodes. Only source leaves of sorghum show a considerable SPS activity, but neither stem nor leaf SPS reveal a positive correlation to the increase of internodai sucrose content. Sucrose phosphate phosphatase (SPP; EC 3.1.3.24) amounts lo only 24–30% of the respective SPS activity but follows the same distribution pattern. None of the enzymes under study proves to be responsible for the extent of sucrose storage in the stem, so other phenomena such as transport processes within the stern tissue require further investigation.     

Biochemical and genetic analysis of carbohydrate accumulation in Allium cepa L

Onion and shallot (Allium cepa L.) exhibit wide variation in bulb fructan content, and the Frc locus on chromosome 8 conditions much of this variation. To understand the biochemical basis of Frc, we conducted biochemical and genetic analyses of Allium fistulosum (FF)-shallot (A. cepa Aggregatum group) alien monosomic addition lines (AALs; FF+1A-FF+8A) and onion mapping populations. Sucrose and fructan levels in leaves of FF+2A were significantly lower than in FF throughout the year, and the springtime activity of acid invertase was also lower. FF+8A showed significantly higher winter sucrose accumulation and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity. Inbred high fructan (Frc_) lines from the 'W202Ax Texas Grano 438' onion population exhibited significantly higher sucrose levels prior to bulbing than low fructan (frcfrc) lines. Sucrose synthase (SuSy) activity in these lines was correlated with leaf hexose content but not with Frc phenotype. Markers for additional candidate genes for sucrose metabolism were obtained by cloning a major SPS expressed in onion leaf and exhaustively mining onion expressed sequence tag resources. SPS and SuSy loci were assigned to chromosome 8 and 6, respectively, using AALs and linkage mapping. Further loci were assigned, using AALs, to chromosomes 1 (sucrose phosphate phosphatase), 2 (SuSy and three invertases) and 8 (neutral invertase). The concordance between chromosome 8 localization of SPS and elevated leaf sucrose levels conditioned by high fructan alleles at the Frc locus in bulb onion or alien monosomic additions of chromosome 8 in A. fistulosum suggest that the Frc locus may condition variation in SPS activity.     

Expression analysis of genes associated with sucrose accumulation in sugarcane under normal and GA<Subscript>3</Subscript>-induced source–sink perturbed conditions

Sugarcane accumulates high amount of sucrose, thus making it one of the important cash crops worldwide. The final destination of sucrose accumulation in sugarcane is sink tissue, i.e., stalk, supplied by the source, i.e., leaf, to fulfill the need of plant growth, respiration, storage, and other metabolic activities. Signals between sink and source tissues regulate sucrose accumulation in sink and possibly the negative feedback from the sink restrains further accumulation in the stalk. However, perturbation of this negative feedback may help to improve sugar yield. This can be achieved by the application of GA₃ (Gibberellic acid), a plant growth regulator, known to excite physiological responses and modify the source–sink metabolism through their effect on photosynthesis, which in turn improves sink strength by redistribution of the photoassimilates. In the present study, GA₃ applied canes showed prominent increase in invertase activity, at early stage of the application, to provide hexoses. This in turn helped increase the internodal length and cane capacity for additional accumulation of sucrose, thereby increasing sink strength. At maturity, sucrose% and brix% were found higher in middle and top portions of the GA₃-applied canes. Expression analysis of various sucrose metabolising genes viz., sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SuSy), soluble acid invertase, neutral invertase, and cell wall invertase (CWI) was carried out at different growth stages, using quantitative RT-PCR. CWI, which plays key role in phloem unloading in sink tissues, exhibited higher expression in GA₃ samples at the elongation stage which decreased with maturity, whereas both SuSy and SPS, involved in regulation of sucrose accumulation, showed a variable level of expression. Thus, GA₃ application on cane may improve the sucrose content in stalk and thus assuage maneuvering source–sink dynamics in sugarcane.     

糖代谢相关酶在灵武长枣叶片和果柄糖积累中的作用

以不同发育时期灵武长枣为试材,测定果实生长发育过程中叶片、果柄可溶性糖含量及蔗糖代谢相关酶活性的变化,探讨果实生长发育过程中叶片、果柄糖的积累与蔗糖代谢相关酶活性的关系。结果表明:(1)灵武长枣叶片、果柄均主要以积累蔗糖为主,叶片、果柄中葡萄糖和果糖含量的变化平缓且随果实发育略有上升,蔗糖含量则呈先下降后迅速上升的趋势,且蔗糖含量始终高于葡萄糖和果糖的含量。(2)在果实的整个发育期,叶片和果柄的酸性转化酶(AI)活性均远高于中性转化酶(NI),AI在前期升高后变化较平稳,而蔗糖合成酶(SS)和蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)活性的变化各不相同。(3)SS分解方向酶活性(SSd)对叶片和果柄蔗糖的积累具有重要的调节作用。研究认为,蔗糖合成酶分解方向酶活性(SSd)对灵武长枣叶片和果柄蔗糖的积累起主要的调控作用。     

Sucrose metabolism in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) branches under low temperature during overwintering covered with soil

The effect of low temperature on sugar content and activities of key enzymes related to sucrose metabolism in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) branches during overwintering covered with soil was investigated. We measured the contents of soluble sugar and the activities of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SS), acid invertase (AI) and neutral invertase (NI) of three grape varieties with different freezing tolerance, Beta, Vidal and Merlot, in October, 2011, January, 2012 and March, 2012. The result showed that: total soluble sugar had the significant negative correlation, ?0.988, with temperature during overwintering covered with soil. The content of hexose was about twofold content of sucrose in January, while sucrose increased and the hexose decreased to a very low level in March, the ratios between hexose and sucrose declined to 0.26, 0.15 and 0.18. Sucrose was more important than hexose in protecting grape branches from cold injury under low temperature, but non-freezing. The accumulation of sucrose was mostly due to the elevation of the SPS activity, whereas the increase of hexose was due to the enhanced AI activity. Three grape varieties responded to low temperature positively as reflected by the variations of physiological and biochemical characteristics, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and proline. Besides, by the principal components analysis and combined with cultivation practices, among twelve characteristics, the sugar metabolism mainly contributed to the difference of the cold resistance. The results indicated that sucrose metabolism regulation played an important role during overwintering covered with soil, and it was the key factor to explain the difference of cold resistance.     

宁夏枸杞果实糖积累和蔗糖代谢相关酶活性的关系

通过对枸杞果实发育过程中果实生长模式、蔗糖、果糖、葡萄糖和淀粉含量及糖代谢相关酶活性的测定,研究了宁夏枸杞果实生长发育过程中糖的代谢积累与相关酶活性的关系.结果表明:(1)宁夏枸杞果实发育呈双S"曲线,果实主要以积累己糖为主.(2)蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)活性在果实发育初期处于下降的趋势,在花后19d开始上升,果实转色后又逐渐下降;蔗糖合成酶(SS)活性总体表现为SS分解方向的活性大于SS合成方向的活性,说明枸杞果实发育过程中,SS的活性主要以分解方向的为主;酸性转化酶(AI)和中性转化酶(NI)的活性随果实发育呈上升趋势,但在果实成熟后期有所下降,且AI和NI活性高于合成酶类的活性,较高的转化酶类活性促进了果实内部己糖的积累.(3)在枸杞果实生长发育中,葡萄糖和果糖含量与AI和NI均呈极显著正相关,而与其它酶不具有相关性.说明AI和NI在宁夏枸杞果实的糖代谢中起着主要的调控作用.     

外源水杨酸对氯化钠胁迫下番茄幼苗糖代谢的影响

采用营养液水培法,用100、300和500 mg·L^-1不同浓度的水杨酸（SA）处理‘辽园多丽’番茄幼苗,测定在NaCl胁迫下番茄幼苗叶片果糖、葡萄糖、蔗糖含量和蔗谢代谢相关酶活性（酸性转化酶AI、中性转化酶NI、蔗糖磷酸合成酶SPS、蔗糖合成酶活性SS）的变化.结果表明：SA处理叶片可以维持或提高NaCl胁迫条件下番茄幼苗叶片果糖、葡萄糖含量及AI、NI、SPS和SS活性,其最高值分别比单纯NaCl处理植株增加30.0%、31.1%、24.7%、27.9%、22.0%和24.5%;但对NaCl胁迫条件下番茄幼苗叶片蔗糖含量的影响不大.表明水杨酸可以通过提高NaCl胁迫下番茄叶片转化酶活性来提高番茄叶片果糖和葡萄糖含量,从而缓解NaCl胁迫对番茄的伤害,其中以500 mg·L^-1的SA处理效果较理想.     

乙酰水杨酸在番茄果实发育期间对蔗糖代谢相关酶活性的影响

研究不同浓度乙酰水杨酸(ASA)对番茄品种‘辽园多丽’果实发育期间蔗糖代谢相关酶影响的结果表明:ASA可抑制果实的维管束和胶质胎座中酸性转化酶(AI)和中性转化酶(NI)活性,而提高蔗糖合成酶(SS)与蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)活性;心室隔壁和中果肉中ASA的作用与此相反。ASA促进果实维管束中可溶性糖积累主要通过调控AI和NI活性实现,而在胶质胎座中主要通过调控SS活性实现;在中果肉和心室隔壁中主要通过调控SS和AI活性实现。     

Sucrose Phosphate Synthase and Acid Invertase as Determinants of Sucrose Concentration in Developing Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) Fruits

Fruits of orange-fleshed and green-fleshed muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) were harvested at different times throughout development to evaluate changes in metabolism which lead to sucrose accumulation, and to determine the basis of differences in fruit sucrose accumulation among genotypes. Concentrations of sucrose, raffinose saccharides, hexoses and starch, as well as activities of the sucrose metabolizing enzymes sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) (EC 2.4.1.14), sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13), and acid and neutral invertases (EC 3.2.1.26) were measured. Sucrose synthase and neutral invertase activities were relatively low (1.7 ± 0.3 micromole per hour per gram fresh weight and 2.2 ± 0.2, respectively) and changed little throughout fruit development. Acid invertase activity decreased during fruit development, (from as high as 40 micromoles per hour per gram fresh weight) in unripe fruit, to undetectable activity in mature, ripened fruits, while SPS activity in the fruit increased (from 7 micromoles per hour per gram fresh weight) to as high as 32 micromoles per hour per gram fresh weight. Genotypes which accumulated different amounts of sucrose had similar acid invertase activity but differed in SPS activity. Our results indicate that both acid invertase and SPS are determinants of sucrose accumulation in melon fruit. However, the decline in acid invertase appears to be a normal function of fruit maturation, and is not the primary factor which determines sucrose accumulation. Rather, the capacity for sucrose synthesis, reflected in the activity of SPS, appears to determine sucrose accumulation, which is an important component of fruit quality.     

枇杷果实发育过程中糖积累及相关酶活性变化研究

以'青种'、'霸红'和'鸡蛋白'3个枇杷品种为材料,测定不同果实发育时期果实中蔗糖、葡萄糖和果糖含量以及蔗糖代谢相关酶即酸性转化酶(AI)、中性转化酶(NI)、蔗糖合成酶(SS)和蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)的活性,并对果实中糖积累与酶活性的关系进行了分析.结果表明:在果实膨大期(5月3日)之前,3种枇杷果实的蔗糖、葡萄糖和果糖积累缓慢,之后则迅速积累,存在着明显的转折点;果实成熟(5月23日)之后糖分积累速度趋于平稳.3种枇杷果实在发育过程中转化酶、蔗糖合成酶和蔗糖磷酸合成酶的活性变化与3种糖积累的动态变化趋势相一致.NI和AI活性在果实膨大期之前都较低且没有明显的变化,之后均快速上升;SS和SPS的活性在果实膨大期之前都很低且几乎无变化,随后'鸡蛋白'的活性迅速上升至果实成熟之后便缓慢上升,而'青种'和'霸红'随果实成熟度的增加而升高,但均低于'鸡蛋白'.可见,枇杷果实膨大期是糖分积累代谢活跃期,其糖积累受蔗糖代谢相关酶综合调控.     

套袋对梨果实发育过程中糖组分及其相关酶活性的影响

以翠冠和黄金梨为试材,测定套袋和未套袋(对照)梨果实发育时期果实中蔗糖、葡萄糖、果糖和山梨醇含量以及蔗糖代谢相关酶酸性转化酶(AI)、中性转化酶(NI)、蔗糖合成酶(SS)和蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)的活性,并对果实中糖组分积累与酶活性的关系进行了分析.结果表明:(1)两梨品种套袋果实在发育过程中蔗糖、葡萄糖、果糖、山梨醇和糖代谢相关酶活性变化趋势与对照基本一致,套袋果实糖含量均低于对照但差异不显著,而各相关酶活性在两类果实间差异表现各异.(2)在梨果实发育早期,果实中以分解酶类为主,糖分积累低;发育后期以合成酶类为主,糖分积累多.(3)两品种套袋和对照果实AI活性与葡萄糖含量均呈显著或极显著正相关,SS合成方向活性与蔗糖含量均为极显著正相关,且翠冠对照果SPS活性与蔗糖含量呈极显著正相关.可见,套袋通过提高果实发育早期转化酶(Inv)活性,降低果实后期蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)、蔗糖合成酶(SS)的活性来影响糖分积累,从而影响梨果品质.     

Sucrose Metabolism in Netted Muskmelon Fruit during Development

Sugar content and composition are major criteria used in judging the quality of netted muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var reticulatus) fruit. Sugar composition and four enzymes of sucrose metabolism were determined in `Magnum 45' muskmelon fruit at 10-day intervals beginning 10 days after pollination (DAP) until full-slip (35 DAP). Sugar content increased in both outer (green) mesocarp and inner (orange) mesocarp between 20 and 30 DAP. The major proportion of total increase in sugar was attributed to sucrose accumulation. The large increase in sucrose relative to glucose and fructose was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in acid invertase activity, which was highest in both tissues at 10 and 20 DAP, and increases in sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) and sucrose synthase activities. The green tissue had a lower proportion of total sugar as sucrose, greater invertase activity, and less SPS activity than the orange tissue. Changes in relative sucrose content were highly correlated with changes in enzyme activity. The results strongly suggest that increases in the proportion of sucrose found in melon fruit were associated with a decline in acid invertase activity and an increase in SPS activity approximately 10 days before full-slip. Therefore, these enzymes apparently play a key role in determining sugar composition and the quality of muskmelon fruit.     

Sucrose accumulation and enzyme activities in callus culture of sugarcane

The activities of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SUSY), neutral invertase (NI) and soluble acid invertase (SAI) were measured in callus cultures of four Mexican sugarcane cultivars (Saccharum spp.) with a different capacity to accumulate sucrose in stem parenchyma cells. The results indicated that sucrose accumulation in callus was positively correlated to the activity of SPS and SUSY and negatively to the activity of SAI and NI while SPS explained most of the variation found for sucrose accumulation and NI least.The research was funded by the department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering CINVESTAV Mexico City, and F. G.-M. received grant-aided support from CONACyT, Mexico.     

The role of sucrose-metabolizing enzymes in pear fruit that differ in sucrose accumulation

In the paper, the soluble sugar composition and activities of enzymes metabolizing sucrose: invertase (β-fructosidase, EC 3.2.1.26), sucrose synthase (SS; EC 2.4.1.13) and sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS; EC 2.4.1.14) were investigated during fruit development of two pear species: Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd. cv. ‘Yali’ and P. pyrifolia Nakai cv. ‘Aikansui’, characterized as low and high sucrose types, respectively. It was found that, at the end of fruit development of ‘Aikansui’, the level of sucrose was five times higher than in ‘Yali’ in the same period. It was coincident with the significantly higher activities of SS (synthesis) and SPS and lower activities of invertase (vacuolar and cell wall-bound acid invertase and neutral invertase). The high correlation was found between sucrose level and SS (synthesis) and SPS activities in ‘Aikansui’ pears.